Punch blocks



Aug. 19, 1958 w. T. GOLLWITZER 2,843,047

PUNCH BLOCKS Original Filed Dec. 16, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ina/e12 tor Zl/a/zer T Gal/wig er as /zawwzm 1958 w. T. GOLLWITZER 2,848,047

PUNCH BLOCKS Original Filed Dec. 16, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PUNCH BLOCKS Walter T. Gollwitzer, Euclid, Ohio, assignor to Addressograph-Multigraph Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Original application December 16, 1950, Serial No. 201,102, now Patent No. 2,710,406, dated June 7, 1955. Divided and this application June 1, 1955, Serial No. 512,492

4 Claims. (Cl. 164111) This application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 201,102, filed December 16,1950, now Patent 2,710,406, patented June 7, 1950.

This invention relates to settable punches of the kind adapted to form data representing perforations in cards, checks and the like.

In punching mechanisms for producing data representing perforations in cards or kindred business instruments, it is essential that the punch guiding block and the cooperating die block be accurately formed and related one to the other so that the data representing perforations will be properly located on and related in the business instruments in which they are formed and the primary object of the present invention is to enable this to be realized in a positive, eflicient and economical manner.

Another object of this invention is to afford a punch structure of the aforesaid character including mated die and punch blocks mounted in stationary relation on a supporting bed and wherein a plurality of parallel columns of openings are respectively aflorded in the die and punch blocks to thereby aflord die openings and punch receiving openings and also wherein the openings in each column are aligned with corresponding openings in adjacent columns and an object ancillary to the foregoing is to afford notches in the punches that are to be disposed in the openings adapted to receive the same and to face the notches in adjacent punches toward each other and to extend stripper bars between such punches and through the notches formed therein and to interrelate the stripper bars one with the other and with means eflective to impart punch stripping movement thereto.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention, and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View through a punch block made in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of certain individual elements that are utilized in producing the punch block structure;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is an elevational view taken from the line 44 of Fig. 1.

For purposes of disclosure, the invention is herein illustrated as embodied in a settable punch structure provided for selectively forming data representing perforations in the cards, while they are disposed at punching position in a machine of the kind disclosed in my aforesaid patent.

aired States Patent 0 l 2,848,047 Patented Aug. 19,1958

Such punching structure as herein shown is constructed for punching in forty different columns and is therefore provided with a rigid punch block structure 610 having punches 611 mounted therein in forty rows of twelve punches each. The punch block 610 comprises an upper punch guide 610G and a lower die block 610D, these blocks being secured rigidly together so as to align corresponding located vertical openings 6126 and' 612D thereof. The lower face of the punch guide 610G is recessed upwardly at 613 so as to form a punch throat between the two blocks into and through which a card may be moved, and the punch block 610 is supported on a mounting plate 614 so that this throat 613 is aligned with the card guideway along which the card is fed to punching position.

The openings 612G serve as guides for the punches 611, while the openings 612D serve as the die openings for punching cooperation with the punches, and these elements are of rectangular form so that the data perforations will be of the form that is most commonly used. The punchings are discharged from the die openings 612D through a large passage 614D in the plate 614 and drop downwardly into a suitable receptacle (not shown).

The punching and stripping movements are applied to the punches 611 by means including a punch ram structure mounted on four vertically movable rods 625 that have a punch ram plate 626 fixed at their upper ends so as to overlie all of the punches 611. The rods 625 extend slidably through the stationary guide plate 614 adjacent to the respective corners of the punch block 610 and at their lower ends these rods are associated with an actuating means as shown in said parent application.

The twelve punches 611 in each column are each formed with a notch or slot 6118 in one side thereof for use in attaining the necessary stripping or upward withdrawing movements thereof. These notches 6118 are relatively close to, but are spaced downwardly from the upper ends of the punches, and the portion of the punches in which the notches 6118 are formed are disposed at all times above the upper face of the punch guide block 610G. The twelve punches 611 are disposed in pairs as shown in Fig. 3, so that the notches 6118 of the punches of each pair face toward each other, and six stripper bars 640 are provided which are of inverted T-shape in cross section. One such bar 640 extends between the punches of each pair so that the lower or bottom flanges 6401 of the bar extend into the slots 6118 of the punches of such pair, and it should be noted that the vertical extent of each notch 6118 is greater than the thickness of the flanges 640F so as to allow for selective punching movements of the punches relative to the stripper bars 640, as will hereinafter become apparent. It will be ob-, served that the vertical legs of the stripper bars are disposed between the heads of an adjacent pair of punches so as to hold the punch heads accurately aligned, especially during punch actuation. The stripper bars 640 are suspended below the ram plate 626 by cheek plates 645 which are fixed to the sides of the ram plate, and the ends of the bars 640 are disposed in carrier slots 6458 formed in the adjacent faces of the cheek plates 645.

The punches 611 are held in place against accidental displacement from the guiding openings 612D by means of retaining strips 648 which are of the same overall width as the flanged lower ends'of the stripper bars 640 and these bars or strips 648 are arranged in the slots 6113 of the punches in the same manner as the stripper bars. The retaining strips 648 are held in position on the top of the guide block 610G by retaining screws 649 so that the strips 648 are normally disposed at substantially the lower ends of the slots 6118 although the punches 611 may move downwardly as required in the operation of the punch. The strips 648 serve to hold the punches 611 against upward displacement such as might interfere with the interposer operation or setting.

The blocks 610G and 610D of the punching unit are formed in such a way as to assure proper alignment of the openings 612 thereof, and the way in which these blocks are formed is such as -to materially simplify the formation of the. slots 612 in an accurate relationship. Thus, the material that is to make up the two blocks is originally formed as a plurality of individual plates 610P as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, one such plate 610P being afforded for each column of punches 611, and the total thickness that is equal to the width of the openings plus the spacing between adjacent openings. These plates 610? are of such a depth-as to be somewhat greater than the total vertical dimension of the two blocks 6106 and 610D that are to be made, and the side faces thereof are accurately machined so that the plates 610? are of the proper thickness which is equal to the column spacing to be employed in the card C. In one face of each plate 610P, a plurality of parallel slots or grooves are formed as indicated in Fig. 2 and these grooves have been identified by the reference character 612 in this figure. It will be evident of course that such slots may be accurately formed as to size and relationship, and after these grooves have been formed in the groove of plates 610P, these plates are positioned in a symmetrical face to face relationship and a closure plate 610X is put in position opposite the last one of these plates so that the proper number of slots 612 will be defined between the several plates that are thus assembled. Proper alignment of the slots in the several plates 610P may of course be facilitated by accurate machining of the end surfaces of the plates and by forming the grooves 612 in the plates through the use of the end surfaces as gauge surfaces.

The assembled plates are then brazed together, and in practice the plates are secured together in units of ten plates each so that a 40-column punch is made up of four such units secured together by clamping as will be described. After such brazing, the outside front and rear edge surfaces of the assembled blocks or units are machined to afford accurate positioning surfaces thereon such as rabbetted corner grooves 610Y, and the block is separated along the line indicated at 610Z in Fig. 4 and the clearance throat 613 is formed in the lower face of the upper block 610G. The units forming the upper and lower blocks are then reassembled through the use of front and rear positioning frame bars 610F that have tongues 610T thereon engaging the end grooves 610Y. These front and rear bars are connected by side clamping bars 6105 that are screwed thereto so as to clamp the four ten-column units together. The upper and lower frames are then secured in place by cap screws on the base plate 614, the inner edges of the upper bars 61oF being arranged to overlie the edges of the blocks 610D so as to hold the same down. Thus the blocks 6106 and 610D are accurately located with respect to each other and are secured in position on the mounting plate 614.

The punches 610 of each column are adapted to be selectively actuated in the course of a downward or punching stroke of the ram plate 626 and this selection is brought about through the setting of individual interposers 650. These interposers take different forms, interposers 650A being adapted to be automatically set from and under control of the perforations in the printing devices D, and others of which are adapted to be set manually, as described in my aforesaid patent.

From the foregoing description, it will be also evident that the present invention simplifies and reduces the cost of producing accurate and accurately related punch guiding and die blocks.

Thus, while I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this is capable of variation and modification, and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire toavail myself ofsuch changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a selectively operable punch structure, a supporting bed, mated die and guide blocks mounted in stationary relation on said supporting bed and having aligned punch receiving openings therein in a plurality of parallel columns with a plurality of openings similarly arranged in each column so that corresponding openings in the several columns are disposed in transverse lines, a plurality of punches each having an elongated notch in one edge and near one end thereof, said punches being disposed in the respective openings of said guide block with the punches in each column arranged in a plurality of pairs with the notches of the punches of each pair facing each other, retaining bars secured to one face of said guide block and extended between the pairs of punches and of such a width as to project into said notches and thereby limit withdrawal of said punches in respect to said guide block, stripper bars extended between the pairs of punches transversely of said columns and engaging the notches of the punches on each side thereof, a ram plate disposed opposite but in spaced relation to said ends of said punches and mounted for movement through a stroke toward and then away from said punches, interposers movable along said columns of punches between said ram plate and said punches for selecting a punch to be operated, and cheek plates fixed on opposite sides of said ram plate and connected to the ends of said stripper bars for imparting punch stripping movement thereto.

2. In a selectively operable punch structure, a supporting bed, mated die and guide blocks mounted in stationary relation on said supporting bed and having aligned punch receiving openings therein in a plurality of parallel columns with a plurality of openings similarly arranged in each column so that corresponding openings in the several columns are disposed in transverse lines, a plurality of punches each having an elongated notch in one edge and near one end thereof, said punches being disposed in the respective openings of said guide block with the punches in each column arranged in a plurality of pairs with the notches of the punches of each pair facing each other, retaining bars secured to one face of said guide block and extended between the pairs of punches and of such a width as to project into said notches and thereby limit withdrawal'of said punches in respect to said guide block, stripper bars extended between the pairs of punches transversely of said columns and having projecting flanges extended into the notches of the punches on each side thereof, a ram plate disposed opposite but in spaced relation to said ends of said punches and mounted for movement through a stroke toward and then away from said punches, interposers movable along said columns of punches between said ram plate and said punches for selecting a punch to be operated, and cheek plates fixed on opposite sides of said ram plate and connected to the ends of said stripper bars for imparting punch stripping movement thereto.

3. In a selectively operable punch structure, a supporting bed, mated die and guide blocks mounted in stationary relation on said supporting bed and having aligned punch receiving openings therein in a plurality of parallel columns with a plurality of openings similarly arranged in each column so that corresponding openings in the several columns are disposed in transverse lines, a plurality of punches each having an elongated notch in one edge and near one end thereof, said punches being disposed in the respective openings of said guide block with the punches in each column arranged in a plurality of pairs with the notches of the punches of each pair facing each other, retaining bars secured to one face of said guide block and extended between the pairs of punches and of such a width as to project into said notches and thereby limit withdrawal of said punches in respect to said guide block, stripper bars extended between the pairs of punches transversely of said columns and having projecting flanges extended into the notches of the punches on each side thereof, a ram plate disposed opposite but in spaced relation to said ends of said punches and mounted for movement through a stroke toward and then away from said punches, interposers movable along said columns of punches between said ram plate and said punches for selecting a punch to be operated, and cheek plates fixed on opposite sides of said ram plate and having supporting grooves in their adjacent faces into which the ends of said stripper bars extend for imparting punch stripping movement to said stripper bars.

4. In a selectively operable punch structure, a support ing bed, mated die and guide blocks mounted in stationary relation on said supporting bed and having aligned punch receiving openings therein in a plurality of parallel columns with a plurality of openings similarly arranged in each column so that corresponding openings in the sev eral columns are disposed in transverse lines, a plurality of punches each having an elongated notch in one edge and near one end thereof, said punches being disposed in the respective openings of said guide block with the punches in each column arranged in a plurality of pairs with the notches of the punches of each pair facing each other, retaining bars secured to one face of said guide block and extended between the pairs of punches and of such a width as to project into said notches and thereby limit Withdrawal of said punches in respect to said guide block, stripper bars extended between the pairs of punches transversely of said columns and having projecting flanges extended into the notches of the punches on each side thereof, a ram plate disposed opposite but in spaced relation to said ends of said punches and mounted for movement through a stroke toward and then away from said punches, interposers movable along said columns of punches between said ram plate and said punches for selecting a punch to be operated, and cheek plates fixed on opposite sides of said ram plate and connected to the ends of said stripper bars for imparting punch stripping movement thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 287,062 Smith Oct. 23, 1883 992,246 Powers May 16, 1911 1,388,299 Powers Aug. 23, 1921 1,812,620 Braitmayer June 30, 1931 1,817,631 Lake et al. Aug. 4, 1931 1,944,671 Schaaf Jan. 23, 1934 2,016,705 Bryce Oct. 8, 1935 2,213,573 Von Pein et a1 Sept. 3, 1940 2,710,406 Gollwitzer June 7, 1955 

